Tommy
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Post by Tommy on Mar 20, 2015 21:16:38 GMT -5
I recently got my environmental and social act together and built a recirculating water system for my grinders. Basically it's a 25 gallon water container below my workbench which is pumped up into a manifold which provides a gravity drop down to each of the two machines - excess water pumps back into the container. Separate drains from the waste pan also drop in the tank but is filtered before returning to the main water column. If anyone cares or is curious I can post a few pictures but I wasn't going to make a DIY thread out of it or anything.
So my concern is about the quality of the water ... the pump is running all the time day and night but it's not being filtered like an aquarium so I'm worried about the water stagnating or becoming unhealthy on the grinders as I'll be breathing a certain amount of the mist that gets generated. Does anyone have a system like this and or do you know of a good water conditioner that will keep the water safe and healthy?
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Post by Rockoonz on Mar 20, 2015 23:44:43 GMT -5
I think the main thing would be biological nasties, a tiny bit of straight chlorine bleach periodically should take care of that. There may be traces of potentially toxic stuff that won't settle out from the rock grinding and may build up over time, draining and refilling with fresh water a couple times a year might be the safe thing to do. Another thing to do is check with car washes in your area, I think most of them recirculate the water nowadays. If you want to conserve water have you considered reclaiming the gray water from your bathing and dishwashing? You have to be using many times as much water for those uses and it can easily be filtered into water that can be used for irrigation and even for flushing your toilet. The USA is one of the few places where toilets are flushed with drinkable water. Bing graywater reclaiming for lots of fun ways to conserve water.
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Tommy
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Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,663
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Post by Tommy on Mar 21, 2015 13:13:25 GMT -5
I think the main thing would be biological nasties, a tiny bit of straight chlorine bleach periodically should take care of that. There may be traces of potentially toxic stuff that won't settle out from the rock grinding and may build up over time, draining and refilling with fresh water a couple times a year might be the safe thing to do. Another thing to do is check with car washes in your area, I think most of them recirculate the water nowadays. Thanks for the tips. Yeah I'm not terribly concerned about the rock nasties - it's more of the biological stuff that I don't want to be breeding or breathing. I was also thinking about chlorine ... I wonder what ratio would be suitable to use so I wouldn't be feeling it on my hands after. Maybe I'll search out swimming pool ratios etc. Yes conserving water is a big deal right now in California - I wish it was an even bigger deal. We are in serious trouble but people don't seem to care - it's lush green lawns everywhere and there has been almost ZERO government participation in conservation efforts. I'm kicking myself because I remodeled my bathroom three years ago - including tearing out the shower area to the studs. That would have been the perfect time to install a gray water system - I thought about it and decided not to - not knowing we were entering into a severe drought period.
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Post by Rockoonz on Mar 21, 2015 16:04:29 GMT -5
Tommy I would look into the amount needed for drinking water rather than pools, they require a lot more due to concerns about peoples whole bodies in the pools and the fecal matter. Since chlorine evaporates if you dose it good when you're done for the day and let it sit overnight the chlorine level should be down by then. A local club puts bleach in the slab water for their shows, probably a good idea but I don't like the slimy feeling on my hands or the smell.
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Post by Rockoonz on Mar 21, 2015 16:10:47 GMT -5
We're on septic so I can only get away with diverting a small amount of my water for reuse, we plan to divert the laundry water for watering the garden this year. The county will only allow me to keep a 55 gallon container from rain runoff, haven't checked their gray water rules.
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Tommy
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Post by Tommy on Mar 21, 2015 22:19:41 GMT -5
Thanks again for the advice. I went out and got some bleach and a chlorine test kit from a pool supply place. I didn't really know how much to add so I started with about a half a cap full and it was way too much - the test kit was off the chart orange when the "safe" range is medium yellow. I did a 75% water change and let it run for a while and it retested perfect. After cabbing all afternoon I noticed my hands are unusually dry so I might take your advice and dial it back a little more.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2015 14:21:32 GMT -5
I'll ask at class what they do. I think we have used the same water for decades, just topping off. Maybe copper minerals kill the nasties?
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
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Post by jamesp on Mar 23, 2015 18:00:41 GMT -5
Thanks again for the advice. I went out and got some bleach and a chlorine test kit from a pool supply place. I didn't really know how much to add so I started with about a half a cap full and it was way too much - the test kit was off the chart orange when the "safe" range is medium yellow. I did a 75% water change and let it run for a while and it retested perfect. After cabbing all afternoon I noticed my hands are unusually dry so I might take your advice and dial it back a little more. We used a cap full of bleach in a 5 gallon bucket of water in the butcher shop. That was final sterilizing bleach water that was used to splash on the saw, tables, grinders etc. I think it was a recipe designed by the state.
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Post by phil on Mar 23, 2015 19:40:04 GMT -5
Way back when cisterns were still the way to save drinking water and etc, the only way they had for keeping the nasties at bay was a silver dollar thrown into each new cistern. That one dollar kept the water safe for many many years. As silver dollars today aren't all silver, maybe get a one ounce .999 fine silver ingot to put in your barrel?
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Post by 1dave on Mar 28, 2015 14:03:03 GMT -5
About running your pump continuously, think about a sump pump float switch. It only allows power to the pump when the water is high and automatically turns itself off.
You can easily build one using a water tight pill bottle.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2015 20:21:07 GMT -5
tommy, Tommy I ran across this article a while back and some weird thing in my mind put the two together then I forgot it then I remembered it so because of all the brain power usage you owe me 1 watt. Jim
Hydrogen peroxide the miracle thingie.
I started using Hydrogen Peroxide to get rid of armpit stains, to clean cookie sheets, as a miracle cleaner in my kitchen and bathroom, and to make my own “oxi clean”…I ALWAYS have at least one bottle of the stuff under my kitchen sink, under my bathroom sink, AND in the laundry room. This stuff is amazingly versatile!
But it wasn’t until recently, after doing some IN DEPTH research on the subject, that I came to realize what a “miracle substance” hydrogen peroxide really is! It’s safe, it’s readily available, it’s cheap, and best of all, it WORKS! It works for a LOT of stuff!
Hydrogen peroxide should really be called oxygen water, since it is basically the same chemical make up as water but with an extra oxygen atom (H2O2). Because of this it breaks down quickly and harmlessly into oxygen and water.
Some other interesting facts about hydrogen peroxide:
It is found in all living material. Your white blood cells naturally produce hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to fight bacteria and infections. Fruit and vegetables naturally produce hydrogen peroxide. This is one of the reasons why it is so healthy to eat fresh fruit and vegetables. It is found in massive dosages in the mother’s first milk, called colostrum, and is transferred to the baby to boost their immune system. It is found in rain water because some of the H20 in the atmosphere receives an additional oxygen atom from the ozone (O3) and this H2O2 makes plants grow faster. Next to Apple Cider Vinegar, hydrogen peroxide ranks up there as one of the best household remedies.
Besides the obvious (cleansing wounds), did you know that it is probably the best remedy to dissolve ear wax? Brighten dingy floors? Add natural highlights to your hair? Improve your plants root systems? The list goes on and on!
There are SO many uses for this stuff that I’ve started replacing the cap on the hydrogen peroxide bottle with a sprayer because it’s easier and faster to use that way.
I have compiled a rather impressive list of uses for 3% hydrogen peroxide that I hope will have you as thrilled and bewildered as I was!
Wash vegetables and fruits with hydrogen peroxide to remove dirt and pesticides. Add 1/4 cup of H2O2 to a sink of cold water. After washing, rinse thoroughly with cool water.
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Post by Rockoonz on Mar 28, 2015 23:25:32 GMT -5
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Tommy
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Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,663
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Post by Tommy on Mar 29, 2015 10:39:37 GMT -5
About running your pump continuously, think about a sump pump float switch. It only allows power to the pump when the water is high and automatically turns itself off. You can easily build one using a water tight pill bottle. Thanks for the input. I'm happy with the continuously running aquarium/pond type water pump - that's my favorite part of the build because with the upper manifold system I can regulate the water pressure coming out across multiple wheels at the same time if I want. I like a LOT of water when I'm working the wheels haha.
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Tommy
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Post by Tommy on Mar 29, 2015 10:44:55 GMT -5
Hydrogen peroxide the miracle thingie. Thanks Jim! I love HP also - I use it every day to clean and store my contact lenses (Clear Care brand) and clean up the occasional blood spill haha. Literally makes fresh blood disappear almost instantly off of clothes. I wonder how much would need to be added to 20+ gallons of water to be an effective germ killer.
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rochaura
off to a rocking start
Member since July 2013
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Post by rochaura on Mar 29, 2015 17:15:58 GMT -5
I ran a recirc system for seven years before we moved and never did anything but add water. I used sodium nitrite and borax for preservative and surfactant. When we moved I finally had to clean out over 50 pounds of dried sludge. Never had a problem.
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